"Shit..!"
Regis cursed as he laid on the ground, unmoving.
From his experience in using Indiscriminate Absorption, it had always absorbed the corpses in order to nurture his demonic power.
That was the important part.
He had always used the evil craft on corpses of people he killed.
It was his first time using it on people's souls.
Earlier, when he absorbed the souls of the hundred or so children, he felt a paralyzing pain deep within his mind.
Fortunately, it only lasted for about a minute before the feeling faded.
'Hello?'
He tried speaking in his mind.
(Are you crazy!?)
"Argh!" Regis clutched his head as Vanessa's loud voice resounded in his mind.
(Oops… I'm sorry.)
Realizing what she had done, Vanessa decided to speak softer this time.
"Hehe… it worked…"
Regis said through gritted teeth, still clutching his head.
"How about the others?" He asked out loud.
(They seem to be unconscious.)
"But how come you're not?"
(Heh, I'm the one who was able to adapt to demonic power the best. I even awakened a Platinum-grade Gift, remember?)
Regis only smiled as he didn't have the power to say anything.
At this moment, Vanessa's voice had a hint of anger in it, (Who in their right mind will willingly absorb more souls on their body?)
(...you could have just used us to fuel your demonic power.)
"That wouldn't feel great."
Regis shook his head as he answered.
"Besides, it was a gamble. If it doesn't work, then I will just absorb all of you."
However, his expression turned serious in the next second, "I don't think we have the luxury to be talking like this…"
(Oh, you mean the finger in the sky?)
(Well, talking like this really takes its toll on me so I don't think I can accompany you any longer.)
"Did you really just leave me on my own?"
Regis was speechless.
"Hello?"
Still, Vanessa didn't speak of a word again.
"Fucker." Regis smiled as he slowly stood up.
He observed what was happening in the sky as he muttered, "Rest well."
In the sky, a giant finger was descending.
However, what seemed to be a golden comet was slowing it down.
'A golden comet… No. That's… a person?'
Regis was confused.
Still, the energy he was sensing from the two of them was enough to make him realize that…
'...I'll be vaporized the moment I come into contact with either of them. Particularly that golden light…'
Regis felt his demonic power squirming as he looked at the golden light that was radiating from the "comet".
'Think. Think. Think. There must be something I…' His eyes darted around, '...can do.'
"Ugh, any help will really be appreciated."
However, no reply came from within his mind.
Regis analyzed the techniques he had in his arsenal and judged that nothing could be of use at the current situation.
'The only offensive technique I have, Verowall, won't really be of any use.'
'Indiscriminate Absorption on the other hand…'
He squinted his eyes as he felt that he missed something important.
In his mind, he had already labelled the finger in the sky as the opponent.
Therefore, he was thinking of ways to help the person who seemed to be fighting the Devil's finger.
'Wait…'
At this moment, Regis felt a peculiar feeling.
It was the same feeling whenever his Perfect Adaptation was triggered.
Earlier when he was fighting the gigantic worm, he felt some restriction in his control of demonic power.
However, that restriction finally disappeared.
"Could that be because of the Devil's presence?" Regis guessed.
After all, he had too little information.
Nevertheless, it didn't stop him from taking advantage of this opportunity.
His eyes landed on the rivers of demonic power that seemed to be fueling the demonic circle in the sky.
'Is that…'
Regis's blood-red eyes lit up as an idea popped up in his mind.
"I don't think I can do anything besides that…"
A crazy smile formed on his lips, "I guess this will be another gamble."
He was determined to do everything in his power just to sabotage the plans of the being who made him and the other children suffer.
"Let's try this one more time…"
Regis took a deep breath, before shouting a chant with all his power.
[Indiscriminate Absorption]
***
Woov——— Woov———
The interval between the flaps of Anna's golden wings gradually started to get longer.
"Please…"
Her voice quivered, "...I don't think I can do this any longer."
Exhaustion was apparent on her face.
She had already been slowing the Devil's finger down for more than an hour.
She didn't even know how many years of her life were left due to the overuse of her holy miracle.
The only thing she was hoping for was for Ligera to minimize the damages when her lifespan was exhausted.
"Huh?"
At this moment, Anna's face perked up as she felt the Devil's finger become lighter.
"Did the reinforcements arrive?"
However, she couldn't sense anyone familiar so she highly doubted it.
Still, she didn't care what the cause was.
Nothing would prevent her from taking advantage of this opportunity.
"Haaa!!!"
Therefore, she once again exerted all the strength she had left as she pushed the Devil's finger back to the demonic circle.
Anna felt the finger becoming lighter as minutes passed by.
"I can do this!" Her face brightened.
After all, she now saw the chance of surviving.
"The Goddess hasn't forsaken me!" Anna exclaimed as the golden flames beneath her feet intensified.
She could feel the movement of the Devil's finger.
If it was only being slowed down earlier, it was slowly being pushed back now.
However, Anna noticed something.
The ten rivers of demonic power that were being absorbed by the demonic circle had now decreased to eight.
"What's happening?" She felt curious, but her current circumstances didn't allow her any liberty to investigate.
"Anna!"
Anna heard a familiar voice calling for her.
"Pope Hagios!"
She felt the presence of someone with divine power that was even stronger than hers.